GeForce GTX 780 vs GeForce RTX 3070

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 780

2013Core: 863 MHzBoost: 900 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz
RTX family
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GeForce GTX 780 vs GeForce RTX 3070 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTX 780 vs GeForce RTX 3070 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTX 780 vs GeForce RTX 3070: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 780

2013

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2013 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 15.9 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • 126.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 178.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 15.9 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 126.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 178.6% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 7,957), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, and 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is priced the same on MSRP at $499 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 178.6% (44.4 vs 15.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 780 vs GeForce RTX 3070 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 780

The GeForce GTX 780 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 23 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 863 MHz to 900 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,957 points. Launch price was $649.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 780 scores 7,957 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 178.6%. The GeForce GTX 780 is built on Kepler while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 4.156 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 780) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070). Boost clocks: 900 MHz vs 1725 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score
7,957
22,172+179%
Architecture
Kepler
Ampere
Process Node
28 nm
8 nm
Shading Units
2304
5888+156%
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.156 TFLOPS
20.31 TFLOPS+389%
Boost Clock
900 MHz
1725 MHz+92%
ROPs
48
96+100%
TMUs
192+4%
184
L1 Cache
0.19 MB
5.8 MB+2953%
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
4 MB+167%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 780 is capped at Upscaling support.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 3070
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 780 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3070 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 3070 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 288 GB/s (GeForce GTX 780) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) — a 55.6% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce GTX 780 and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX 780) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
288 GB/s
448 GB/s+56%
Bus Width
384-bit+50%
256-bit
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
4 MB+167%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 780) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 3070
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.0
1.4+40%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 780) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 780) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder
NVENC 1st Gen
NVENC 7th gen
Decoder
NVDEC 1st Gen
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 780 draws 250W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 12.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 3070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 780) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80 vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 3070
TDP
250W
220W-12%
Recommended PSU
600W-8%
650W
Power Connector
6-pin + 8-pin
8-pin
Length
267mm
242mm
Height
111mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80
75°C-6%
Perf/Watt
31.8
100.8+217%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 780 came in at $499, while the GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 15.9 (GeForce GTX 780) vs 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 179.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce GTX 780GeForce RTX 3070
MSRP
$499
$499
Performance per Dollar
15.9
44.4+179%
Codename
GK110
GA104
Release
May 23 2013
September 1 2020
Ranking
#320
#63

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